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Polarization

Neutral objects are attracted to any other objects by a process called charge polarization which occur very easily with conductors but can also occur with insulators.

For a conductor, the electrons move and this is what creates the polarization.

For an insulator, it is the atoms themselves that becomes polarized. The electrons stay "attached" to their molecules.

In an insulator, the electrons can move within the atoms and the atoms can be polarized near the surface but the electrons do not move within with the material. There is no motion from one atom to the next.

So to triple check.

Charging by Induction.

Charging by induction is a pretty neat way to charge an object without ever depositing new charges onto it. The idea is to take a conductor and to polarize it. Then break the conductor into two parts. Each part will then have a net charge. This is illustrated in the figure below.

The presence of the rod polarized the two spheres.

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